WQED Multimedia: Pittsburghers of the Century: December 1999

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Pittsburghers of the Century

H | I | J | K | L

H

Barbara Hafer:
"That little nurse" from Elizabeth, so-called by her then-running mate, incumbent Allegheny County Commissioner Dr. William Hunt, surprised him and the establishment by winning to become the first woman to hold that office. Once "the" rising star in state politics, she got crushed when she ran for governor against Robert Casey, but she's not out of the game entirely: The former state auditor general is now state treasurer.

Reuben Haley:
Glass designer/artisan renowned for his groundbreaking artistic leaps in the field of glass product design and marketing. Beginning his career in the metals trade as a die-maker, he soon went to work as a glass designer, eventually becoming chief designer for the huge local U.S. Glass Co. trust, an experience that taught him about the vast consumer market for glass. Aware of the latest styles in art and design, Haley was able to translate them to glass, borrowing openly from the work of other glass designers such as French designer Rene Lalique, as well as from the work of such visual artists as Cubist Lyonel Feininger, employing the harsh angles and straight lines of Cubism in his glass designs. Possessing a keen sense for packaging his products, choosing colors and pattern names, and presenting them attractively in advertisements, Haley created an image that made the glass desirable to the consumer.

Jack Ham:
A local Steeler great, born Dec. 23, 1948, in Johnstown. Enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1988 (Penn State grad). Played for the 1971-82 Pittsburgh Steelers (linebacker 6-1, 225). Named to eight straight Pro Bowls. Consensus All-America, 1970. No. 2 draft pick, 1971. Won starting left linebacker job as rookie. Had speed, intelligence, exceptional ability to diagnose plays. Gained reputation as big-play defender. Career record: 25 1/2 sacks, 21 opponents' fumbles recovered, 32 interceptions. All-AFC or all-pro seven years, 1973-79.

Arthur Anton Hamerschlag:
The first president of Carnegie Institute of Technology (later CMU). The central hall of the school's department of electrical and computer engineering was originally known as Machinery Hall but in 1965 was renamed Hamerschlag Hall in honor of this first president's contributions to the budding institution.

Joe Hardy:
With his two brothers, this Pittsburgh native bought a small plot of ground in Eighty-Four, Washington County, operating at first as a lumberyard for contractors, soon getting into the cash-and-carry lumber business. Eventually, through consolidations, acquisitions and aggressive marketing primarily in rural areas (the same strategy that built Wal-Mart), Joe built 84 Lumber into America's largest privately owned retail building-materials company, with 400 stores nationwide. The concept of a "super hardware store" has since been imitated by new rivals like Home Depot. Hardy now also owns and operates Nemacolin Woodlands Resort, originally a private country retreat and now a large resort with many public amenities.

Keith Haring:
He attended the former Ivy School of Art on the North Side in the 1970s, later moving to New York, where this Kutztown (eastern Pennsylvania) native (born May 4, 1958) became a "graffiti" artist. His stylized, frenetic and highly recognizable work was soon discovered and sought by major galleries and celebrities like Andy Warhol. As an art star at a young age, Haring received major commissions and rocketed to fame and fortune before his AIDS-related death at the age of 31 on Jan. 18, 1990.

Edwin Harleston:
While working as a security guard at the Heinz Co., this aspiring writer established the first Pittsburgh Courier in 1907, eventually one of the first newspapers to publish both national and local editions, achieving a national circulation of approximately 200,000.

Clyde Hare:
Commissioned to do the Pittsburgh Photographic Library project, this Indiana native, born 1927, chose to stay, taking countless pictures of the city and doing work for its major corporations. His photography also has been used to illustrate various books about Pittsburgh, including several published by Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation. Perhaps "the" photo-documentarian of Pittsburgh this century.

Walt Harper:
Jazz artist best known for his influential jazz club in the 1960s-'70s, which popularized Market Square as the city's place for entertainment. Walt Harper's Attic brought many significant artists of the time to Pittsburgh.

Franco Harris:
Popular running back caught the famous "Immaculate Reception," which won the first playoff game in Steelers history and that lives in the memory of even non-football fans. He finished his career as the third leading rusher in NFL history and is enshrined in the league's Hall of Fame. Now a local businessman with interests ranging from a professional bicycle league to a sausage company.

Charles ("One Shot" a.k.a. "Teenie") Harris:
This black photographer (1908-98) took some 40,000 pictures, primarily of the city's African-American community, during his 40-year stint as a photojournalist, most notably with the Pittsburgh Courier (starting in 1936). His work also appeared in such national publications as Jet and Ebony. His documentary photography is widely considered the best of its kind. His work is not just of black and white celebrities of the period and "news events," but both everyday life and extraordinary events over a crucial four decades, giving us a rare comprehensive and invaluable sense of African-American history.

J.P. Harris:
Along with Harry Davis, Harris is credited with opening the first all-motion-picture theater, the Nickelodeon, in 1905 at 433-435 Smithfield Street, downtown Pittsburgh (a plaque there marks the spot), starting with The Great Train Robbery and continuing with such short films as Poor But Honest and The Baffled Burgler. Even at a nickel a heel and with only 96 seats (taken from Davis' other theaters), the Nickelodeon netted more than $1,000 that first week. Such success was parlayed into a chain of movie theaters, which survived into the 1950s, and other entertainment venues. He also served in the U.S. Senate.

Roy Harris:
Modern composer and composer in residence at Chatham College around the 1950s. His best-known work, his Third Symphony, was composed here.

Larry Hatch:
When this former Isaly's executive opened his first Eat 'n Park restaurant on Saw Mill Run Boulevard in 1949—with 10 carhops to serve customers right in their cars—it caused a six-hour traffic jam. One of the first restaurants of its kind in the area, Eat 'n Park has obviously been a hit.

Leland Hazard:
First president/principal founder of WQED, the first community-financed educational television station in the country in 1954. He resigned his vice-presidential post at Pittsburgh Plate Glass to become a professor at the Carnegie Institute of Technology.

Theodore Hazlett:
Instrumental in both the "building Renaissance" and the "arts Renaissance" of Pittsburgh. Solicitor to the Allegheny Conference and general counsel to the Urban Redevelopment in its early years, writing the legislation for the "Pittsburgh Package," passed by the state legislature in 1947. Later became president of the A.W. Mellon Educational and Charitable Trust and took a proactive role in philanthropy, helping fledgling arts organizations (such as Lovelace Marionette Theatre) become nonprofit groups so they would be eligible for funding. Under Ted Hazlett's leadership of Trust, and with funding from the Trust, the North Side's Carnegie Hall was renovated as a theater. The original home of the Pittsburgh Public Theater is known officially as the Theodore L. Hazlett Theatre.

Sam Hazo:
In 1993, he was named first state poet of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Hazo, a professor at Duquesne University, has published more than a dozen books of poetry, as well as fiction, essays, various works of translation and two plays. As founder and director of the International Poetry Forum, he has increased appreciation of poetry as a spoken art form.

Drue Heinz:
The widow of H.J. Heinz II is a major supporter of the arts, not only locally but internationally, through her Drue Heinz Foundation. On the list are the Drue Heinz Lectures, the Drue Heinz Prize for Literature, the Drue Heinz Study Center for Drawings and Prints at the National Design Museum and the Heinz Gallery in London. She inspired the creation of Heinz Hall Plaza, at Penn and Liberty, downtown, and chose the sculpture. Funds from her foundation generate exhibitions at the Carnegie Museum of Art's Heinz Architectural Center and help publish the Lincoln Center Theater Review. She is publisher of the Paris Review, a prestigious literary magazine.

H.J. Heinz:
One of the most famous entrepreneurs in the food business (company founded 1869), whose "model factory" along the Allegheny still stands. Attitude toward labor relations unusual, motivating people by treating them well, with amenities like company socials, a gym and weekly manicures for food workers. Personally dreamed up such slogans as "57 Varieties" and such gimmicks as the still-freely-distributed pickle pin (both in 19th century). He and his company always stressed food quality and purity, and so were among the biggest supporters of the Pure Food and Drug Act. Products were sold throughout the world starting in 1900. Also built Heinz Chapel (bequested in 1919 will) as a memorial to his wife.

Henry John "Jack" Heinz II:
Grandson of H.J., went beyond food for WWII. "Beans to bombers" and "Pickles to pursuit planes" were the slogans, with almost entirely woman employees. Took the family-owned company public after the war and expanded its international operations in Holland (1957), Venezuela (1960), Japan (1962) and Italy (1963), plus Kitt Green in the north of England, the largest food processing plant in Europe. Served until 1987 as chairman of the board. As a philanthropist, foresaw need to make arts and culture part of Pittsburgh's "Renaissance," and started with what's now Heinz Hall. Founder and first head of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, he envisioned the downtown Cultural District that is now reaching fruition.

Howard Heinz:
Son of H.J., led the company 1919-41, saving the company during the Depression (during which he cut costs, not wages) by introducing two new product lines: baby food and ready-to-serve soup. By 1937, business had doubled. Howard greatly expanded the company's scientific reach, bringing chemists into the factories and agronomists into the fields. On his death in 1941, he bequested his residual estate to form the Howard Heinz Endowment, one of a pair of Heinz Endowments, for philanthropic purposes, chiefly in social services.

John Heinz:
U.S. senator from Pittsburgh who was a health-care advocate, particularly for the elderly. Since his death in a helicopter crash in 1991, his name has been immortalized with the Sen. John Heinz Pittsburgh Regional History Center in the Strip.

Theresa Heinz:
Widow of Sen. John Heinz, who has been an advocate for environmental and family concerns. Established the Heinz Awards in 1994, each totaling $250,000 to recognize and reward achievements in the arts and humanities, technology and economic growth, the environment and public policy. Her recent efforts focus on developing Pittsburgh's riverfronts.

Vira I Heinz:
Following the death of her husband, Clifford Heinz, in 1935, North Side native Vira Heinz (1888-1983) engaged in civic and philanthropic work during the next five decades. She was a founder of the Civic Light Opera, president and principal benefactor of the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony and a member of the boards of the Pittsburgh Chamber Music Society, the Pittsburgh Opera, the Pittsburgh Symphony Society and Children's Hospital. She was the first woman trustee of Carnegie Mellon University and was a trustee of Chatham College. In her will, she established the Vira I. Heinz Endowment, one of two Heinz Endowments, to continue her philanthropies.

Anna Heldman:
Head of the health-services department of the Irene Kaufmann Settlement, credited with providing health care to Pittsburgh's underserved multitudes for 38 years. A pioneer in Public Health Nursing Association, established at the settlement in 1920. She spoke both Yiddish and German fluently, and her adoring Hill District clients (Jewish, African-Americans, et al.) did not discover until her death that she was Lutheran.

Marshal Henderson:
Served as president of the Federal League, the professional baseball league that lasted two years, 1914-15.

Victor Herbert:
Early conductor of the Pittsburgh Symphony (1898-1904) went on to fame as a conductor of operettas. Wrote his famous Babes in Toyland during his Pittsburgh stint.

Elsie Hillman:
A major force (some even say "kingmaker") in the Republican Party, both locally and nationally, Hillman stepped down in 1996. She helped elect John Heinz to the House of Representatives and U.S. Senate, Richard Thornburgh and Tom Ridge as Pennsylvania governors and George Bush as president. Born in Pittsburgh in 1925 and educated at the Ellis School and Westminster College. Got into politics in 1952 as a volunteer for Eisenhower. In 1967, she was elected county chairman of the Republican Party, and in 1974, she was awarded a Distinguished Republican citation. In 1975, she was appointed to her party's National Committee. She has been involved in a number of charitable and civic organizations, including WQED Pittsburgh. She is the wife of billionaire Henry Hillman, founder of The Hillman Co.

Henry Hillman:
Pittsburgh's richest man, scion of an old local family, he is the billionaire chairman of the Hillman Co. and of the Hillman Foundation, and former president of Pittsburgh Coke & Chemical. The Hillman Library at the University of Pittsburgh was a result of Hillman largesse, as is the new Hillman Cancer Center at Shadyside Hospital. He was a member of the Allegheny Conference and a trustee of Carnegie Institute.

Earl "Fatha" Hines:
Duquesne native was one of the most influential figures in the development of jazz, pioneering the development of jazz improvisation, and called "the greatest force in shaping jazz piano." Also a noted composer and bandleader whose orchestra launched many other greats.

Dr. Robert Hingson:
One-time professor/director of anesthesia at UPMC and Magee-Womens Hospital, founded the tiny but effective Brother's Brother Foundation (originally based in Mount Washington, now on North Side) which has assisted millions worldwide. Three major inventions continue to relieve pain and suffering worldwide today: a portable respirator anesthesia gas machine and resuscitator called the Western Reserve Midget, which is highly transportable and allows for the delivery of a short-term, general anesthetic; extensive experiments in the use of anesthesia to prevent pain during childbirth, leading to the invention of the continuous caudal anesthesia techniques; his best known invention, the "peace gun," a jet injector that has enabled efficient, mass, needle-less inoculation worldwide against such diseases as small pox (now eradicated in the wild), measles, tuberculosis, tetanus, leprosy, polio and influenza. The peace gun allows the inoculation of 1,000 persons per hour with several simultaneous vaccines. From 1958-80 the foundation immunized more than 10 million people. BBF's mission has since broadened to include other types of aid (donating medical supplies and equipment, seed, other agricultural inputs and educational materials). In 1981, Dr. Hingson retired from BBF and was succeeded by his son, Luke Hingson.

John Hirt:
Founded the Community College of Beaver County 1965, the first community college in Western Pennsylvania.

Henry Hornbostel:
Oakland would have a different look today without the designs inspired by this Brooklyn-born architect (1867-1961). His legacy includes Soldiers & Sailors Memorial, Rodef Shalom temple, Webster Hall and the original buff-brick buildings of Carnegie Institute of Technology (today's CMU). His firm also designed downtown's City-County Building and is credited with the first use of aluminum in architecture.

Lena Horne:
Probably the most glamorous person to come out of Pittsburgh, this Hill District/Sugar Top native was one of jazz's most gifted vocalists and performers (she referred to herself jokingly as "a sepia Hedy Lamarr"). A singer at the famous Cotton Club in New York, Lena learned from the likes of Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, Billie Holiday and Harold Arlen, the composer of a future big hit, "Stormy Weather," which would become one of Horne's signature tunes. She starred in the movie of the same name and Cabin in the Sky, both in the '40s, both of which made her extremely well-known. She is the recipient of several Tony Awards, two Grammys, New York City's Handel Medallion, a Drama Desk Award, New York Drama Critics' Special Award, the Dance Theatre of Harlem's Emergence Award, and the NAACP Springarn Award. She also received a special Tony for Distinguished Achievement in Theatre.

Cy Hungerford:
Nationally famous Pittsburgh-based cartoonist who produced a daily syndicated comic strip, "Snoodles" (1915-25). In 1927, he joined the Post-Gazette as its featured front-page cartoonist (often using his 18th-century-garbed character Pa Pitt); helped the war effort in the '40s by drawing defense posters, and didn't retire until 1977. He was awarded an honorary doctor of arts degree from Washington and Jefferson College, and in 1970 the Pennsylvania Awards of Excellence.

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I

Alma Illery:
Humanitarian, civil rights pioneer in national groups; launched Camp Achievement for poor inner-city black kids here in 1940s, made national headlines when she integrated it (i.e. permitted white kids) in 1960. Name lives on in Alma Illery Medical Center in Homewood and in National Achievement Clubs. Also succeeded in bringing greater recognition to scientist George Washington Carver, with 1945 congressional designation of Carver Day and Carver commemorative stamp, first-ever for an African-American.

Donnie Iris:
A native of Beaver Falls, Iris first gained national exposure in 1970 as part of the rock band The Jaggerz. The one-hit wonders recorded the million-selling song "The Rapper." In the '70s, he scored another hit, "Play That Funky Music," as a member of the band Wild Cherry. His first solo album, 1980's Back on the Streets, also gained national recognition, with the hit single "Ah Leah." Iris remains a fixture on the local music scene with a devoted fan following.

K. Leroy Irvis:
The first, and still only, African-American to have been elected Speaker (twice by acclamation), a position he held for nearly eight years, longer than anyone in Pennsylvania. The Hill District rep (a former teacher and a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Pitt's law school) first won election to the state House of Representatives in 1958 and won re-election 14 times, retiring in 1988. A delegate to five Democratic National Conventions. Also a proficient author and wood sculptor.

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J

Kenneth Jackey:
When Soviet Premier Nikita Krushchev visited the Mesta Machine plant in 1959, this Homestead clerk ignored security and protocol instructions by shaking the premier's hand and giving him a cigar. Krushchev, who had been treated less than cordially on his history-making trip by many Americans who wanted to prove how "anti-communist" they were, was so pleased that he gave Jackey his watch.

Ahmad Jamal:
Pittsburgh-born professional pianist starting in his pre-teen years, renowned for his lyrical, gently swinging playing style. (His birth name was Fritz Jones, but he changed it in the early '50s.) The most influential of Ahmad's advocates was Miles Davis, who recognized Jamal's interesting rhythmic concepts as being something which he could incorporate into his own work. Jamal worked extensively in the U.S. throughout the '60s, '70s, and '80s, usually in trio format, but also appeared with larger backing for record dates, and he also appeared with Gary Burton.

Tommy James:
The Michigan-based Shondells had already broken up when the 4-year-old "Hanky Panky" became a monster No. 1 hit on Pittsburgh rock stations in 1966. At the time considering getting a "real" job, James instead hightailed it to Pittsburgh and quickly put together a new band from local musicians. "One night I'm playing for 20 drunks in a bar in Michigan, and the next night I'm playing for 10,000 screaming fans in Pittsburgh," he recalled later. "It was literally overnight." Mainly a Pittsburgher by association, James racked up a number of million-selling bubble-gum hits, including "I Think We're Alone Now," "Mony Mony," "Crimson and Clover" and "Crystal Blue Persuasion."

Benno Janssen:
His vision of architecture as "the effort to express something beautiful" bore fruit in the Mellon Institute, the William Penn Hotel and La Tourelle, the Edgar Kaufmann home in Fox Chapel.

Otto Emery Jennings and Frank W. Preston:
The two men considered most responsible for the establishment of the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy in 1932. The Conservancy acquires land and transfers it to federal, state and local public agencies. The group itself oversees approximately 15,000 acres that serve historical, recreational, natural and environmental purposes (most famous is Fallingwater). Today, Pennsylvania ranks second only to California in conservation acres with 348,000 from 75 land trusts; WPC designated 236,000 of those acres. Jennings, a botanist and director of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, "taught Western Pennsylvanians the heretical idea that the highest use of a piece of land may be non-use." Jennings also wrote the monumental book Wildflowers of Western Pennsylvania and the Upper Ohio Basin (University of Pittsburgh Press, 1953). Preston was an English-born researcher and Butler County resident whose geology hobby, fascination with the ice sheet and glacial lake that had covered a portion of Western Pennsylvania, and own commitment of time and money led to the creation of what is today Moraine State Park and Lake Arthur, a harmonious mix of natural and recreational uses.

Patricia Prattis Jennings:
In 1964, the pianist became the first African-American member of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra via contract.

Bob Johnson:
Coached the Pittsburgh Penguins to their first Stanley Cup championship. Before coming to the Penguins, he was perhaps the most influential name in amateur hockey, coaching U.S. Olympians and generally serving as a coach/ambassador for a number of college hockey teams.

John Henry Johnson:
Pro-football player enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1987. Played for 1960-65 Pittsburgh Steelers, and was Steelers' No. 2 draft pick, 1953 (fullback 6-2, 225). He also played for 1954-56 San Francisco 49ers, 1957-59 Detroit Lions, and 1966 Houston Oilers, but had best years in Pittsburgh, surpassing 1,000 yards rushing in 1962, 1964. Born Nov. 24, 1929, in Waterproof, La.

Oliver L . Johnson:
In 1942 he became the first African-American assistant district attorney in Allegheny County. With his two sons, he formed the first African-American law firm here. Both sons were later elected judges: Livingstone Jr. to Allegheny Common Pleas and Justin to State Superior courts.

William Julius "Judy" Johnson:
Considered the Negro Leagues' top third baseman of the 1920s and 1930s. The consistent .300 hitter and future Hall of Famer starred for both the Homestead Grays and Pittsburgh Crawfords.

B.F. Jones Jr.:
Engineered in 1900 the consolidation of the various family firms into Jones & Laughlin Ltd., solidified in 1902 into a corporation, Jones & Laughlin Steel Co., the second largest steel company in Pittsburgh (after Carnegie Steel). The head of the second generation of Joneses to own and operate the company, which grew under his leadership.

Paul F. Jones:
(1906-60) Democratic powerhouse in the 1940s and '50s who became the first African-American elected to Pittsburgh's City Council in 1954. The Duquesne Law School grad first served in the state House (representing Pittsburgh's First Ward). Chair of the Urban Renewal Committee, which played a big role in the redevelopment of the lower Hill District. Also active in NAACP, Urban League, American Legion and VFW.

Shirley Jones:
Smithton native (her family produced Stoneys Beer), local beauty queen and Playhouse grad went on to Hollywood stardom, winning an Academy Award for best supporting actress for her against-type performance in Elmer Gantry. Returned to wholesome roots as mom in TV's "The Partridge Family."

William Larimer Jones:
Cousin of B.F. Jones Jr. and general manager of Jones and Laughlin Steel Co. Influenced by the "social gospel" ideas of the turn of the century, decided that treating the workers decently (a radical idea) was important, and would also deter union organization. Envisioned, planned and built a model community for the company's steelworkers: Aliquippa, incorporated as a borough in 1909. A J&L subsidiary laid out the town and built the predominantly free-standing houses, to be sold outright to J&L workers for around $3,200, starting in 1913. Each house had indoor plumbing, gas and electricity (most local working class families didn't enjoy such amenities until after WWII), plus little gardens and proximity to woodlands. Home ownership elsewhere did not become common among working-class people until after the GI Bill was enacted.

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K

Ziggy Kahn:
Before WWII, when Jewish kids had a tough time getting into college because of strict Jewish quotas, this popular basketball/boxing/athletic leader at the Irene Kaufmann Settlement House tried a sports maneuver. His coaching skills enabled many young men to win athletic scholarships to college. Many of his proteges ended up at Duquesne (e.g. Moe Becker, one of the "Iron Dukes").

John Kane:
The Scotland-born Kane (1860-1934) worked as a laborer after coming to Pittsburgh at age 19. He worked at painting freight cars and other buildings and, later, the self-taught artist turned his attention to representation and canvas. His "Scene From the Scottish Highlands" was accepted for the Carnegie International in 1927, and he showed at New York's Museum of Modern Art and other national venues. His work is included in the collections of the Carnegie Museum of Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, among others.

Jon Kaplan:
This former Pittsburgh Press and Post-Gazette photographer won the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography in 1992 while at the P-G for his special project on the diverse lifestyles of 21-year-olds across America.

Tasso Katselas:
His post-war architecture has left its mark on the face of Pittsburgh. Commissions include the new Greater Pittsburgh International Airport, the new Allegheny County Jail, Carnegie Science Center and buildings at the Community College of Allegheny County, Allegheny campus.

Edgar J. Kaufmann:
Merchant prince, philanthropist, art patron best known for the commissioning of Frank Lloyd Wright's masterpiece Fallingwater, probably the most famous private residence in the world. Also helped to begin the Civic Light Opera, and his bequest funded the world's first and (for a long time) largest retractable dome at the Civic Arena. The owner of Kaufmann's Department Store also commissioned one of the most stunning interiors of any store, and his office (designed by Wright) has since been installed in the Victoria & Albert Museum in London and is the only Wright structure in Europe. Also commissioned Wright for designs for Pittsburgh's first "Renaissance" (never built, but the drawings are in museum collections here and around the world).

Edgar Kaufmann Jr.:
Son of Edgar Kaufmann Sr., Pittsburgh merchant prince and supporter of the arts, Edgar jr. (he spelled jr. without the capital "J"), studied under Frank Lloyd Wright. He made the serendipitous introduction to his father., which later resulted in the commission of Fallingwater. A teacher, curator, architectural historian and lecturer on FLW, Edgar jr. donated Fallingwater to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, a gift that allowed the masterpiece to be opened to the public for tours.

George S. Kaufman:
This Hill District native and Fifth Avenue High School graduate was Broadway's "Great Collaborator," known for his work with co-authors on more than 40 Broadway (mostly nonmusical) hits, including Of Thee I Sing (1931), the first musical to win a Pulitzer Prize; plus Dinner at Eight (1932) Strike Up the Band (1930), You Can't Take It With You (1936) and The Man Who Came to Dinner (1939). Also a member of Algonquin "Round Table," a luncheon group of journalistic wits that included Robert Benchley, Dorothy Parker and Alexander Woolcott.

Henry Kaufmann:
One of the original Kaufmann brothers who opened a tailor shop (in 1868) that would later become the department store. He and his wife began the Irene Kaufmann Settlement in memory of their daughter Irene, in 1908, to carry on and enlarge the work of the Council of Jewish Women, who had established a little social settlement in the midst of the Hill District on Townsend Street. The settlement was also the first "better baby clinic" in Pittsburgh, and, when the flu epidemic of 1918 broke out, the settlement staff of women, working 18 hours a day, cared for 1,047 cases of flu and pneumonia in 42 days. The Public Health Nursing Association was also established at the settlement in 1920.

Michael Keaton:
The Robinson Township native is recognizable around the world as Batman, but he actually hit fame first in comedy with Night Shift and Mr. Mom, though he proved he could handle the heavy stuff with Clean and Sober. Though he lives in California, Keaton remains active in Pittsburgh organizations, especially the Parental Stress Center, and is frequently seen at various celebrity sports events, including golf and hockey.

Gene Kelly:
East Liberty area native and Pitt grad had a dance studio for a short time in Squirrel Hill, but soon went on to Broadway, then Hollywood stardom. A multi-talent who directed, acted and sang, he's most famous for his work as a dancer and choreographer. He revolutionized popular musical theater dance in post-war America with a more physical, guy-ish, blue-collar feel, notably in On the Town, Singin' in the Rain and An American in Paris (which won six Academy Awards, including one for best picture; Kelly won a special award for contributions in choreography, not a regular Oscar category). Created first live action/animation dance sequence when he danced opposite Jerry of "Tom & Jerry" fame. His name lives locally in a "square" in East Liberty and in the awards program for local high school musical productions.

Raymond Kemp:
Duquesne University grad; first African-American professional football player, joined Steelers in 1933.

George Ketchum:
Founder in 1923 of the advertising agency Ketchum, McLeod and Grove, now known just as Ketchum, with $125 million in billing at 29 offices around the world.

Walter Kidney:
The Johnstown native, who's been with Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation as a writer and historian for several decades, is the author of a number of books about the region's architectural heritage, including Landmark Architecture: Pittsburgh and Allegheny County (1985), Pittsburgh's Landmark Architecture: The Historic Buildings of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County (1997), Allegheny Cemetery: A Romantic Landscape in Pittsburgh (1990), and his latest, Pittsburgh's Bridges: Architecture and Engineering (1999).

Ralph Kiner:
If you trudged into Forbes Field during the cellar years of the 1950s, Kiner is why. Regardless of the score or the inning, once it seemed that the future Hall of Famer would have his last at-bat, Bucco fans headed for the exits. In his medically shortened 10-year career, Kiner hit 369 home runs, winning or sharing the National League home run title in each of his first seven seasons in Pittsburgh. His top output was 54 in 1949, but he also had 51 in 1947. His ratio of 7.1 home runs per 100 at-bats is second only to Babe Ruth among retired players.

Charles Glen King:
Pitt scientist in 1932 identified the chemical structure of vitamin C. Runner-up for Nobel Prize.

Roger Kingdom:
Olympian from Monroeville who won two gold medals for high hurdles: in the 1984 and '88 Olympics.

Otto Klemperer:
A German-born conductor and composer (1885-1973) who was conductor of the Pittsburgh Symphony 1937-38 and played a part in its reorganization.

Catherine Baker Knoll:
The native Pittsburgher became only the fourth woman elected to a statewide office when she became the 73rd treasurer of the commonwealth in 1989. In her eight years in office (the maximum permitted under law), she instituted a number of programs (e.g. HomeStart, CityStart, Rural Housing Program) designed to increase private home ownership by providing funds for low-interest loans for construction, purchase and/or renovation of homes.

Henry Koerner:
Carnegie Tech graduate; came to America in 1939 (after escaping Nazi Austria) and worked for the Maxwell Bauer Studios in Manhattan. Among his works were many Time magazine covers.

Elena Kornetchuk:
In the late 1970s, this European-born (1951) Russian-German art historian established Russian Images, a downtown art gallery that was the only gallery in the United States to feature art from the then-Soviet Union and other Warsaw Pact countries. In the 1980s she moved the gallery to Sewickley, where the gallery was renamed International Images and her cosmopolitan curatorial skills continued to bring to Pittsburgh contemporary artists from around the globe, especially from many countries that don't make it on the radar screen when we think of art.

Kathryn Kuhlman:
With her Pittsburgh-based ministry, this Missouri-born evangelist (1907-1976) gained a national, and even international, audience through her personal appearances as well as radio and TV shows broadcasts, preaching the Gospel and performing faith healings. She was featured in national publications like People and appeared on TV shows like The Tonight Show and Merv Griffin.

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Jack Lambert:
Pro football player enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1990. Played for 1974-84 Pittsburgh Steelers (linebacker 6-4, 220). Second-round draft pick, 1974. In nine straight Pro Bowls, 1975-83, six AFC title games, and four Super Bowls (had 28 interceptions, 15 opponents' fumble recoveries). Two-time NFL Defensive Player of Year. Prototype middle linebacker—intense, intelligent, fast, quick, durable. Noted for vicious tackling, great range, superior pass defense. All-pro seven times.

Daisy Lampkin:
Considered by some observers as one of the most significant women in America this century. Hill District resident (lived here 1909-65), civil rights activist and suffragist known nationally as a fundraiser (including for Liberty Bonds) and organizer, most famously for the NAACP (she was national secretary). Powerbroker: highly instrumental in election of Robert H. Logan to Pittsburgh City Council in 1919 and Homer S. Brown to the state legislature in 1934; alternate delegate at-large twice to the national Republican convention. Developed local chapters of Urban League and NAACP. Stockholder/vice president/columnist of Pittsburgh Courier, which she helped build into the most widely circulated black newspaper in the world in the middle of the century. Recruited Thurgood Marshall to the NAACP legal team, and K. Leroy Irvis to Pittsburgh and politics. First African-American and first woman in city to have a historical plaque.

David Lawrence:
In the recent book The American Mayor: The Best and Worst of the Big City Mayor, our "Davey" was named third best in 173 years of U.S. urban history, since the office of mayor was begun in 1820. (New York's Fiorello LaGuardia was first, Cleveland's reform mayor Tom L. Johnson second; the panel comprised biographers, historians and academics.) Most famous, of course, for Pittsburgh's first "Renaissance" (1946-59), which reduced smoke and water pollution and rebuilt downtown Pittsburgh. The Democratic Party boss, later elected governor of Pennsylvania (where he pushed through some key civil rights legislation), was considered a mover and shaker in the Democratic convention circles that nominated John F. Kennedy for the presidency in 1960. (Bobby Kennedy came to his funeral in 1966.) Among the structures bearing his name are an academic building at Pitt and downtown Pittsburgh's convention center.

Bobby Layne:
Pittsburgh Steeler 1958-62. Enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1967 (quarterback 6-2, 190). Also played for 1948 Chicago Bears, 1949 New York Bulldogs and 1950-1958 Detroit Lions. Exceptional field leader, at best in clutch. Career record: 1,814 completions for 26,768 yards, 196 TDs; 2,451 yards rushing; 372 points scored.

Henrietta Leaver:
Miss America of 1935, this McKeesport resident sparked national attention when she posed in a bathing suit for Frank Vittor and his sculpture "American Venus," which he rendered nude. When Henrietta objected, an imported jury of nationally artists, sculptors and architects determined that it was a "true and beautiful work of art." She withdrew her objections and became Miss American Model of 1936.

Edward T. Leech:
The crusading editor of The Pittsburgh Press helped to win the campaign for anti-smoke legislation in 1941, leading the way to the first "Renaissance."

William Leech:
Founder (in 1947) and longtime director of the Playhouse Jr., the oldest children's theater in Pittsburgh. Few Pittsburghers of the baby boom and post-boom eras did not attend at least one show at the Playhouse Jr. Most plays were based on popular fairy tales, and the cast (of mainly young and student actors) would greet the young theater-goers in the lobby after the show.

Mario Lemieux:
One of the greatest athletes in Pittsburgh and in hockey history, even though much of his career was plagued with injuries and, finally, Hodgkin's disease, a form of cancer. Became the first ex-player to take over ownership and management of his former team (which he led to two Stanley Cups). Also personally active in local charities, particularly the one founded in his name for cancer research and neonatal care. A street near the Civic Arena is named for him.

Buck Leonard:
The slugging first baseman of the Homestead Grays when the team won Negro League pennants nine years in a row (1937-45). He teamed with Josh Gibson to form the Babe Ruth-Lou Gehrig tandem of Negro baseball. He consistently ranked among the league leaders in home runs and batting average, winning the batting title with a .391 mark in 1948. Elected to Hall of Fame by Committee on Negro Leagues: 1972.

Oscar Levant:
Hill District native and Fifth Avenue High School dropout was the highest-paid concert performer at his height, but it's his career as a "personality" and wit on talk shows and in movies (he basically played himself in An American in Paris) that he's best known. Early on the foremost interpreter of Gershwin and a promising composer in his own right.

Rabbi J. Leonard Levy:
(1865-1917). Rabbi of Rodef Shalom early in the century; oversaw the move of the congregation from downtown Pittsburgh to what was then the new "civic center," Oakland, building an ambitious temple (designed by Henry Hornbostel) that still stands. Striving for greater acceptance of Jews in American society, Rodef Shalom scored a major coup when President Taft came and spoke in 1909; he was the first president to make an official visit to a synagogue.

Ira Lewis:
Began writing for The Pittsburgh Courier in 1914, later becoming managing editor. Lewis was Robert L. Vann's hand-picked successor as editor, a position he took in 1940 following Vann's death; under Lewis' leadership, the Courier reached its highest circulation and gained even greater popularity and scope, due largely to the paper's spearheading of the successful "Double V" campaign, which, beginning in the Feb. 7, 1942, edition and continuing weekly until 1943, demanded that African-Americans risking their lives abroad receive full citizenship rights at home. Started with Vann, and helped him develop the Courier to its powerful position; had high business acumen.

Sol Lewitt:
Conceptual American artist (born 1928, Hartford, Conn.) who attended Carnegie Institute of Technology. His modular cubes and grid structures, wall drawings and serial graphics reflect his study of mathematics. His work is represented in New York's Museum of Modern Art and Pittsburgh's downtown.

Robert P. Linn:
The longest sitting mayor in the United States, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. Linn has been mayor of Beaver for 54 years.

Edward Harold Litchfield:
Pitt chancellor (1956-65) planned for expansion and growth of the university. In 1963, Pitt created two-year colleges in Greensburg, Titusville and Bradford to meet the problems of rising college costs and the flood of students expected in the mid-1970s; the following year, Pitt initiated special programs designed to encourage women to attend graduate school. Grander plans, such as a research facility in Junction Hollow, were not realized, and Pitt suffered certain financial difficulties, leading the private school to seek (after Litchfield's departure) state funding. It retains its status as a private university, but a state-related one.

Robert H. Logan:
First African-American elected Pittsburgh alderman (1919) in the Hill District.

"T." Stefan Lorant:
The author of Pittsburgh: An American City (five editions: 1964, '75, '80, '88, '99[posthumous]) lived here 10 years to create the first edition of the book, which had a dramatic impact especially on local readers. The book also had national impact, presenting the one-time "Smoky City" as a beautiful and progressive modern city. The book was primarily pictorial, with a historical narrative and occasional thumbprint biographical sketches. Lorant, the creator of modern photo-journalism at Life magazine, revisited Pittsburgh frequently to update (though not completely revise) the book, the most recent edition of which is hitting the stores for the 1999 holiday season.

Margo Lovelace:
Her Lovelace Marionette Theatre (1968-84) introduced generations of Pittsburgh children to the theater as audience members, and a large number of children to the behind-the-scenes work of the theater as apprentices. (Most famous alumnus is theater director Peter Sellars.) In its heyday, the Shadyside-based company was one of the nation's foremost marionette theaters, and Lovelace herself a sought-after expert. Since her retirement, she has donated her collection to the Pittsburgh Children's Museum, where they remain on display.

Barbara Luderowski:
Adopted the Mexican War Streets neighborhood for her home and moved into a former mattress factory more than 20 years ago. Today, her Mattress Factory, a exhibition and performance space, has put Pittsburgh on the map, both nationally and internationally, especially for its niche as a showplace for installation art. Her presence on the North Side has helped spark renewal and economic development.

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